Two Alaskan villages were destroyed by remnants of a powerful typhoon that swept homes off their foundations, killed at least one person and displaced more than 1,400 people.
Typhoon Halong barreled through western Alaska over the weekend, bringing high winds and surf. The hardest hit communities were Kipnuk and Kwigillingok.
In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, several communities reported significant damage, including flooded homes, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said.
One Kipnuk resident, Brea Paul, told The Associated Press that she saw about 20 homes floating in the water.
"Some houses would blink their phone lights at us like they were asking for help, but we couldn’t even do anything," she said.
Alaska State Troopers said that one person, 67-year-old Ella Mae Kashatok, was killed in Kwigillingok. Two people in the village remain unaccounted for, the agency said in a Facebook update on Tuesday, announcing that search-and-rescue efforts were ending.
They were identified Wednesday as Vernon Pavil, 71, and Chester Kashatok, 41.
The agency said that crews used drones, boats, and aircraft, and that the decision to end the search and rescue was made in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Alaska Army National Guard, and the Alaska Air National Guard.
The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said crews had searched over 67.2 square nautical miles and that State Troopers would transition to a "recovery-response effort."
More than 30 people in remote villages were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Alaska National Guard, the U.S. Northern Command said in a post on X. Emergency management said the storm displaced more than 1,400 people across western Alaska.
"Along with sheltering, we are focused on coordinating food, water, and emergency supplies to ensure that essential needs are met," the agency said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. "To those who have been displaced, lost homes, or are struggling in the aftermath of this disaster — please know you are not alone. Our hearts are with you, and we will not stop working until every community has the support, resources, and care needed to begin the road to recovery."
